AQW 50112/11-16

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 22/10/2015
Answered On Date: 03/11/2015
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to outline how he will work with agencies, including Lifeline, to mitigate the risks leading to the overrepresentation of males in occurrences of suicide.

Answer:

The Public Health Agency commissions a range of suicide prevention services targeted at males including: mental health public information campaigns to encourage help seeking behaviour; mental health training programmes; community focused mental health awareness programmes; and mentoring for young men who have experienced suicidal ideation and/or self harm.

Some of the “Lifeline” communications are also targeted at a male audience, for example, through late night radio programme sponsorship on U105 with customised messages for men, and awareness sessions and information material for construction workers and haulage companies.